


Coffee Runs

by aghkaaashi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Homophobia, M/M, Slow Build, Tooth Rotting Fluff, author likes to disappear off the surface of the earth, its so slow im sorry, there are vulgarities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2018-12-23 00:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11978613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aghkaaashi/pseuds/aghkaaashi
Summary: Oh. He had stopped jogging altogether and was openly staring at the guy-with-sexy-af-thighs. Shit, what do I do now? What if he thinks I’m some creepy person who stares at people? Kuroo trailed his eyes back onto the man’s face, the guy was coming closer, one more step…“HEY! YOU HAVE NICE THIGHS!”Oh fuck.





	1. you’re dripping like a saturated sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> hello frens!! 
> 
> its my first story/fanfic i've EVER written so pls don't judge me too harshly! i love this ship and finally had the courage to put this online :) any constructive criticism is welcomed!!

“Ugh,” Kuroo rubbed his eyes as he squinted into the darkness of the room. Red digital numbers blinked on his bedside table. 6.04 A.M. 

Why did he agree to this again? 

Groaning, he rolled on his bed for a couple more minutes before getting up to ready himself for his daily morning jog. Just a few days back, Bo had told him to get some exercise every day as he’ll somehow “die early” if he continues to not exercise. But he exercises, Kuroo remembered arguing with Bokuto about this. But Bokuto being Bokuto, believes that exercise means going out of your house to run, not staying at home to do crunches and planks and all those boring workout. Being the good bro he is, he promised Bokuto that he will go for a short morning jog every morning, and that he would call him right after the jog to tell him about his “amazing morning”. Somehow, the new routine started off well; Kuroo woke up bright and early for the past few days, jogged in the park for 30 minutes, and got ready for work. But, his body soon tire itself out, and he dreaded waking up so early to exercise; he still had papers to grade for god’s sake. “For my promise to Bo, I’ll do it. Look at how much I love you, bro. Gosh, please appreciate me more.” He whispered to his reflection in the mirror as he washed his tired face. 

He laced up his shoes, locked his door, and began his run.

//

That guy… is he new around here? Kuroo gazed at the man, jogging in his direction. The man had short brown hair cropped close to his face, and adorable doe-like eyes; his shirt was bunched up to his biceps and his thighs… oh my gosh; his thigh muscles rippled, as sweat rolled down the tan skin of his legs—and they are coming closer to him. 

Oh. He had stopped jogging altogether and was openly staring at the guy-with-sexy-af-thighs. Shit, what do I do now? What if he thinks I’m some creepy person who stares at people? Kuroo trailed his eyes back onto the man’s face, the guy was coming closer, one more step… 

“HEY! YOU HAVE NICE THIGHS!” 

Oh hell no. Oh my god. His hand flew over his mouth; his eyes widened. Oh great, what a good first impression. Hot blood rushed up his neck, his cheeks were burning. He is pretty sure he looks like a ripened tomato, cheeks a ruby red not due to overexertion, but from pure embarrassment. 

The man froze. He was directly beside Kuroo. 

Tilting his head down slightly, Kuroo noticed that the man was a little shorter than him. His temple glistened with a thin sheen of sweat; a light blush dusted the tops of his cheeks. 

“Um, what did you say? Were you talking to me?” A warm baritone voice spoke from beside him, soft and questioningly. 

Even his voice is sexy; okay there’s definitely something wrong with me today morning. 

“Oh, I was practicing for my play since it’s later today and that’s my only line to say. So uh…” Kuroo scratched his head sheepishly, a rare awkward smile making its way to his face, “don’t mind me practicing that line on you, uh…” 

“Sawamura Daichi.” He answered Kuroo, angling his head slightly to give Kuroo a small smile.

“Oho, Kuroo Tetsurou at your service.” Kuroo allowed his trademark smirk to appear on his face as he glanced to his left at Sawamura. Please believe me, his mind chanted, fingers drumming nervously on his right thigh as he watched Sawamura’s expression. 

Daichi merely stared at him and said, “Uh I hope your play goes well today. That line was weird though… what kind of play are you taking part in, Kuroo-san?”

“Ah, a… a play about modelling… yeah modelling.” Kuroo continued praying that Sawamura would believe him because holy mother of god, he really doesn’t know how to continue his stupid story. “And I’m suppose to be some fan boy so yup that’s how the line was assigned to me.” 

Sawamura cocked up an eyebrow, eyes dancing with amusement. “Hmm okay, I thought the line was very well delivered, you sound genuinely excited.” 

Way to go Kuroo. “I think I gotta go man. Nice meeting you, Sawamura-kun.” Kuroo flashed Sawamura a tight-lipped grin before dashing off in the direction of his apartment. 

Rounding a corner, he made a beeline towards a pillar and leaned heavily against it. He brushed back the sticky strands of hair tickling his forehead and exhaled heavily. Kuroo Tetsurou, master of provocations, is rarely embarrassed, however today morning, he had thrown away his dignity in the worst way ever, and in front of an attractive person. He squeezed his eyes shut. Ugh, he wished the ground to swallow him whole, so he would never see the man again.

The sounds of birds chirping snapped him out of his flustered state. He glanced at his watch. 

7.12 A.M. 

Is he going to be late for morning classes? Hell yes. 

• • •

“And… that’s the end of class. Remember, the group project is due in 3 weeks!” Kuroo shouted over the din of the auditorium. Students streamed out of the room, chatting about their plans for the weekend, about whoever’s party, about… whatever. He strolled to his chair and plopped down heavily. Weekends were pretty much non-existent, considering the amount of papers he had to grade and the test questions he had to set for the upcoming exams. 

He sighed. How he wished he was still in college; Bokuto roping him in to execute stupid pranks, Yaku scolding them for behaving erratically while cleaning up their wounds, Kenma playing a new game on his DS, Akaashi giving Bokuto and him the “I’m so done with both your bullshit right now” face and chiding them…

He twirled a red ball point pen mindlessly as he allowed himself to fall into a sea of nostalgia. There was a period of time when Bokuto would get himself so wasted at every party, just to see what kind of stunt he would do. Kuroo recalled a time where Bokuto literally climbed over a 3-metre fence, shattering a few of the home owner’s collection of garden gnomes upon falling. During that same time period, he remembered Yaku bringing them out of the police station. Apparently, they were so wasted, they started stripping on the streets, while grinding against lamp posts. Eventually they were reported for public indecency and Kenma had helpfully recorded the whole embarrassing fiasco. Reminiscing all the times that he had spent with his friends got him smiling so hard, laughter threatening to spill out of him. His mood was significantly better… Until his phone had decided to buzz furiously on his desk. The red ball point clattered onto the table. “Ugh what’s with me today? I already had like 3 coffees?” Kuroo mumbled, picking his phone off the desk and pressing it to his ear. “Hel –“

“BRO WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL ME TODAY HUH? KEEPING SOMETHING FROM ME?” A voice screeched from the other side of the line, and Kuroo immediately regretted not checking the caller ID before answering. His eardrums cried in pain at Bokuto’s loud and shrill voice. 

Wincing, he answered, “Bo, sorry man. I had to rush for work today; I was running late so I didn’t have –“

“Oho, did something happen? You are never running late and you always call me… You’re not telling me something right?” Bokuto dragged the last word in a questioning manner, his teasing tone clear in his words. 

“I was getting there; patience, young owlet. Anyways, is there a new guy living around our area? He’s kind of buff, and is about average height, brown hair, and goes running in the morning? Did you see him before? He has like really nice thighs, holy avocados – yes bro I’m getting to the interesting part – I don’t know what came over me but I JUST HAD TO FUCKING VOICE MY INNER THOUGHTS TO THE WHOLE PARK.” A wave of embarrassment washed over Kuroo again, as he replayed the whole scene in his head.

“Kuroo, did you forget that I am overseas so how would I fucking know if there was a new guy? What did you say, man? I don’t think you would ever outdo me –”

“BRO, I shouted to the whole world that he has nice thighs, and then played it cool by saying that that it was a line for some play that I was participating in.” He whispered to the now empty auditorium. 

A silence was heard over the phone, followed by a spluttering sound that sounded suspiciously like a dying whale. Bokuto managed to choke out how Kuroo had beaten him in his own game of public embarrassments. 

“Okay, I’m hanging up on you, shithead. Love you.” 

He stared at the owl pen holder on his desk. One more class to go, he thinks before wrapping his fingers around the jug of black coffee and downing the remnants. 

// 

His wish did not come true. 

The next morning, he bumped into Sawamura, literally. It was so awkward, and Sawamura just had to ask about the non-existent play. Kuroo forced a smile onto his face, while telling Sawamura some cat facts to make himself feel less awkward. He continued to talk about some cat video he had seen yesterday night. Warm laughter escaped out of the other man next to him, smooth and rich. They jogged side by side, laughter and conversations mingling. Before he knew it, the sun was already crawling out of its bed, its bright golden rays streaking through the trees and onto the pavement in front of Kuroo’s feet, then he realised that he was once again running late for work. Bidding a hasty good bye, he sprinted home and threw all his necessities into a duffel bag before dashing off to the university. 

//

“Sweet Jesus, so you ran into him again today? And you guys talked?!” Bokuto’s awed voice sounded over the phone. 

Kuroo merely hummed, biting into the tuna sandwich he had bought while calling Bokuto. His second lecture had just ended, and thank god, he did not need to walk around the lecture theatre to check his students’ work. Because he stank. A lot. In his mad rush today morning, he forgot his cologne. Why is he so out of sync today, and yesterday? Sawamura? Maybe; Kuroo loves meeting new people and spends as much time as he could to get to know the person. Sawamura was interesting; he, surprisingly, adored cats too, especially black, fluffy kittens with round eyes. He was also easily annoyed; the way his eyebrow would twitch slightly, before he turned to gaze at Kuroo, with that cryptic smile that told Kuroo to stop the lame puns. Kuroo found riling up Sawamura fun; his annoyed expression was to die for. 

“Hey, bro you still there? HeLLO?! Are you dead?” The line on the other end crackled, and Kuroo answered with another non-committal hum. 

“…Bro you’re not fine. Go get some sleep and skype me tonight alright! I’ll be back soon! Like in a week!”

“Okay man, see ya soon.”

The line went dead. Kuroo was once again left to his thoughts; he wondered about a certain handsome man, jogging beside him. He wondered how was he going to complete marking all the assignments he had just collected today. He wondered about his dinner tonight. Is it going to be pizza again? He rubbed his stomach absent-mindedly, nah, he was feeling exotic today; some Thai food would be great. 

//

“Good morning Kuroo!” 

Kuroo glanced up from his phone, and his lips automatically pulled into a smirk. “Yo Sawamura, you seem excited today.”

It had been about week (not that Kuroo has been counting) since that embarrassing encounter, and both of them had shared many interesting mornings together, learning new things about each other and of course, jogging together had become their daily routine. Sometimes, Kuroo would purposely widen his steps a little, just to mock Sawamura for having slightly shorter legs. Sawamura got so annoyed, that he refused to talk to Kuroo for the rest of the run. But Kuroo had to admit, Sawamura had killer stamina; he could run nearly two kilometres without panting, while Kuroo trailed behind him, heaving heavily. Sawamura would usually smirk at Kuroo, as if daring him to mock him for being short again.

Today was a Saturday and Kuroo was absolutely grateful that there were no morning lectures to interrupt him from spending more time with Sawamura. From his peripheral vision, the tentative rays of sunlight caressed Sawamura’s face, highlighting the gentle slope of his nose, the tip of his nose, the area above the arch of his brow bone, and the most note-worthy part of his face – his eyes. Kuroo used to think brown eyes were the most boring eye colour ever; it was the colour of soil and dirt, or tree bark, or watered-down coffee. But his were a startling shade of mocha brown; earthy layers of brown and grey undertones collided with golden specks of light dancing in his eyes. His eyes are bright; like the flames of a crackling bonfire by the beach in summer; yet toasty, like a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy winter’s day. Subconsciously, Kuroo fell into his habit of staring at people. Sawamura (the unfortunate subject of the day) was now being stared at unabashedly. Without warning, the pair of eyes zeroed in on him, “Is there something on my face?” 

“Oho, self-conscious, are we? Nah, there’s nothing on your face aside from your untamed eyebrows.” 

“Do you really have to insult me whenever we talk, Kuroo? Stupid man-child.” 

“Hmm? What was that, Sawamura? I don’t think I quite caught that.” Kuroo forced down a blooming Cheshire Cat grin as he watched Sawamura huff in annoyance, before hearing his reply of “nothing”.

“That was what I thought.” The two resumed jogging in comfortable silence, with the exception of Sawamura constantly rubbing at his face to remove non-existent dirt. As they jogged past a small group of high schoolers, the smell of tempura wafted into Kuroo’s nose. He never knew fried prawns could smell so tantalising. At that thought, his stomach groaned in agreement. 

He stopped in his tracks. Sawamura looked over his shoulder at Kuroo worriedly. “Are you okay?”

He focused his gaze on the space between Sawamura’s eyebrows and cleared his throat. “Say, do you want to grab some breakfast together? Since both of us are – oh! Are you free today? If you’re not, then its okay –” Was he too forward? Eager? Maybe a bit rushed, but he is hungry.

“I’m free, where do you want to go?” Sawamura walked closer to Kuroo, giving way to the bike behind them. He then continued in a lower tone, “Your stomach is embarrassingly loud, but it’s okay, I’m probably the only other person who heard it.” He proceeded to lean back and rock on his heels, waiting for Kuroo’s response.

The ear that Sawamura had murmured in felt hot, scalding. Kuroo willed himself not to turn into a shade of fire truck red, and choked out a poor excuse of an answer (“Anything.”) Sawamura gave Kuroo a long look before saying, “I know somewhere with good coffee…”

‘Good coffee’ was all he needed to hear. “Okay, let’s go man!” Kuroo hooked his sweaty arm with Sawamura’s before sprinting forward. “Do you even know how to get there?” Sawamura’s voice piped from beside him. Kuroo slowed to a stop and replied innocently, “No.”

“You really are a man-child, Kuroo.” 

“Says the shorter person.”

“Do you even know what a man child is, Kuroo?” 

“Yes! It’s used to describe a grown man…”

“Ha! You don’t know, gosh, how can you even be a professor?” 

“Shut up, I’m still thinking, it’s in one of my brain drawers… where is it…” 

Sawamura barked out a laugh, and said, “Let’s get going, all the fresh bagels will be gone by the time we get there. And I know both of us are hungry.”

“The thing is I really know the definition but I just can’t remember it… Fine, okay! Let’s go, for real this time.”


	2. reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> special appearance from my fav owl child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for your support from the first chapter!! i AM SO HAPPY YALL DONT UNDERSTAND ok liek 20 KUDOS????!!?!? wooooot?? ok enough of me screaming here, enjoy! 
> 
> ps im so sorry this is just a filler cos i'm having finals rn so here is sth short i manage to write 
> 
> pps this is not edited yet HAHA i'm too tired to do so

The thing with Bokuto is that, you never know when would he be coming back. Sometimes, it’s a week, sometimes, a month. The worse Kuroo have ever endured was almost ten months. Sometimes, he says a week but ends up coming back a few days late at an ungodly hour…

A faint knocking sound in his ear. Kuroo flipped onto his stomach and buried his head into his pillow. The sound stopped for a moment before coming back again. He cracked an eye open – nope, it’s hell-freezing-over o’ clock. He tried ignoring the persistent knocking but it only grew louder and more impatient.

He had enough. Dragging his tired self off the bed, he made his way to the source of the noise, which brought him to the door. He flung open the door and his face was unfortunately met with a hard knock. “Ow! Who are you?! It’s 3 in the fucking morning! What do you – “ 

“BRO, DO YOU MISS YOUR FAVOURITE GUY?”

He rubbed his eyes. That voice – is that Bo? Through his blurry vision, he saw a familiar shock of white hair with black streaks, lying flat on its owner’s head. A cheerful smile greeted him in response to his silence. “Bro, is that you? Am I dreaming?” He wondered out loud, while trying to adjust his eyes to the brightly lit corridor. 

Without warning, a pair of arms snaked around his shoulder and he was pulled into a warm embrace. The familiar scent of Bokuto’s cologne hit him in the nose; his questions were answered. He wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s waist as he attempted to press himself as close as he can to Bokuto. God, he misses this guy so much; his days were pretty much boring without his daily source of entertainment. Breathing in the cologne deeply, he released Bokuto. 

“Bro, where have you been?” 

//

Kuroo sipped his cocoa, eyes focused on Bokuto’s wild gestures. Bokuto was raving about the athletes he had met while taking pictures at volleyball tournaments across Brazil. “And hear this, there was this tall-ass blocker who approached me and I thought he was mad at me – and no I didn’t offend him, come on! Have more faith in me – he just looked so… pissed. I was preparing to bolt and then he tapped me. On my head. And said that he is a fan of my pictures, and asked if I could do some shots for his team. That’s when I looked up from my camera and oh my god, bro, Lucas Saatkamp is right in front of me. He’s that scary looking guy earlier, holy shit.” 

Kuroo returned him a blank look. Huffing, Bokuto explained, “Bro, Lucas Saatkamp, Brazil National team. You know, the middle blocker, dark hair dark eyes… IT’S A BIG ASS THING EVEN IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND OH GOD… just imagine one of your favourite scientist asking you out for coffee or something of that sort – yup that big. Thank god I calmed the fuck down and asked him if we could discuss this after their match. He said yeah and when he walked away, I literally flung myself onto the floor and rolled around in joy – I know, what the heck but I was so fucking happy because I scored such an awesome opportunity! It’s not the money you know, it’s the experience and to hang out with such stars,” he sucked in a deep breath, “is such an honour.”

“Bro, I’m so happy for you… but I’m dead tired now, celebrate tomorrow?” 

Bokuto nodded, and lugged his bags to the spare room. “Morning, go to sleep!” He called out to Kuroo before closing the door. 

Rubbing a hand down his face, Kuroo flopped gracelessly onto his bed and passed out blissfully.

//

Golden arrows of sunlight streamed through the parted curtains, hitting him square on the face. Squinting against the bright light, he fumbled around for his glasses. Ah, much better. Sock covered feet padded against the wood floor as he approached the kitchen. Man, he is hungry, and there’s Bokuto… Maybe he should cook an official welcome meal, after all, he can cook breakfast food really well. 

He pulled open the fridge door. 

A sad carton of expired milk sat in the cold interior of the refrigerator. Guess he has to go… GROCERY SHOPPING! He shuts the door with a flourish as he skipped to his room, pulling on an abandoned shirt before leaving the house. 

Jangling his keys, he made his way to the local grocery store. With a smile as bright as the morning sun, he stepped into the cool air-conditioning of the store. Many people find grocery shopping a chore, but to Kuroo, he loves grocery shopping, right down to the part where he has to lug heavy bags of food back home. He loves how everything is in place, like how the red apples were stacked together, how the bars of chocolate were arranged according to flavours. It was just so satisfying to look at the fruits and meats displayed… if you love grocery shopping, you will get it. He loves standing in the baking aisle, eying the various types of flour and sugar, thinking of all the amazing desserts he could make out of them. He absolutely enjoys the freedom of choosing various kinds of vegetables to put into his basket; he likes how he get to make decisions on whether to get bitter gourd or not (he won’t). And the last and most important reason? He can pretend that he is in an episode of MasterChef, zooming through the store in a mad attempt to get whatever he needs and scaring some people in the process. 

He smiled nostalgically, picking up a basket. Now that he was older, he kind of stopped doing it, the ‘MasterChef’ thing. Maybe if Bo went to the store with him… The very image of them crashing into innocent shoppers popped into his mind, forcing Kuroo to hold back his snicker. His feet directed him to the meat section and that was when he saw him. 

Decked out in a muscle tank and sweats, he stood before the bread aisle, holding two different loaves of bread in each hand. Kuroo passed by a pair of girls giggling about said man, and a few more girls, who bluntly admitted how hot he was. How does Sawamura not even know that almost every female in the vicinity was whispering about – oh. Earpieces sat in his ears, tangled wires disappeared in the pockets of his navy blue sweats. Kuroo forced himself to look away, as he picked up some minced beef and chicken breasts. Ugh, is it even legal for someone to be that good-looking? In sweats? He couldn’t imagine the day he would say sweats are sexy, but damn, Sawamura pulled it off so effortlessly that it made him reconsider his boycott against sweats. Sighing, he continued dumping necessities into his basket before making his way towards the checkout.

To his surprise, Sawamura was still at the same aisle, concentrating on the same two loaves of bread. Kuroo swallowed his laugh, and crept behind Sawamura. Setting his basket down quietly, he clapped both hands onto Sawamura’s shoulders heavily. A yelp from the latter was heard as he dropped both loaves of bread onto the floor, his body stiff and shocked. “Who are – Kuroo! What the heck?” He exclaimed, tugging the earpieces out of his ears, while glaring harshly at the perpetrator. 

“HAHAHA OH MY, WHA-WHAT WAS THAT? And you were here for like the past 10 minutes… in the same position…HAHAHA!” 

“You don’t just scare someone like that! I could’ve died from shock, Kuroo! God, why do I have to deal with your dumbass sometimes?” Annoyance and exasperation coloured his tone, his glare still piercing. Kuroo inhaled deeply, calming himself down from the laughing session before replying. “Come on, man, that was hilarious! Like, woah, that guy”, he pointed at Sawamura, “looks so fearless, but turns out he is kind of a scaredy cat.” 

Kuroo waited for a laugh, but the intensity of the glare only increased tenfold. Sawamura continued burning holes onto his skin, as he awkwardly bent down to pick up the fallen loaves, handing them over to the irritated victim. A tinge of guilt filled his gut when he noticed that Sawamura’s shoulders were a little red from the hard smack, and that a bruise was already present on his left shoulder blade. “Look Sawamura, I shouldn’t have shocked you just now… I’m sorry okay? And about that bruise, I really didn’t mean to hit it… Oh my god, it’s probably hurting like a bitch now, right? I can ice it for you and give you a back massage as an apology. Actually, I’ll do anything to make you less angry.”

The glare softened to a stare. “Really, anything?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Hmm okay. I’ll keep it in mind that you owe me a favour then.”

He sighed in relief, as Sawamura beckoned him to the checkout, frown no longer on his face. With bags in hands, they left the store, the mid morning sun beating down on them.

//

“Kuroo, you didn’t have to… I could have just gone to the dining table outside, but thank you so much. I feel so jet-lagged…” Bokuto looked down onto the tray and exclaimed, “oh my god it’s the breakfast sausage thing that I love! Love you man.”

“Love you too.” Kuroo crossed his legs on the bed, lifting a cup of coffee to his lips. The strong bitter taste of black coffee enveloped his taste buds and he swallowed, much to the disgust shown on Bokuto’s face. At the sight of Bokuto’s face, the image of Sawamura’s contorted facial features popped into his mind. That morning when they went to get breakfast together. That morning where he tried Kuroo’s (“disgusting”) coffee, nearly spitting out the contents, while wincing heavily—

“So, what got you smiling so much today? My presence? That you can actually enjoy breakfast in bed with the famous Bokuto Koutarou?”

Kuroo did not even realised he had subconsciously grinned and replaced the grin with a smirk. “Yeah man, I thought I told you today that I missed you. So duhhh I’m super happy that you’re back.”

“Oh? That’s not it I think… Is it lover boy?” 

“Huh who’s lover boy?”

“Don’t play dumb now, lover boy equals Sawa – something?”

Bokuto’s eyes were piercing. 

He sighed. “It’s not really him, it’s like a mish-mash of things man… like you coming back! And seeing something funny in the store, and bumping into him and –“ 

“I KNEW IT! You can’t fool me… so what’s his name again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me here --> [tumblr](https://aghkaaashi.tumblr.com/)


	3. it was nice2knou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here you go~~~ 
> 
> #prayfordaichissanity

The days following Bokuto’s arrival was entertaining. Days were filled with loud laughter and jokes, with popcorn and movie marathons, with take outs and Mario Cart. Halcyon days don’t last, and a week later, it was the new season of “Living in Solitude, starring Kuroo Tetsurou”.

Waking up to an empty house was something he had gotten used to, but at the same time, he never really ‘gotten used’ to it. Everything was silent, partly because who wakes up at 6 a.m.? And partially because your noisy best friend just flew to another part of the world for his job, so there’s no one to talk to you. Well, at least there’s your running buddy. At that thought, Kuroo started brushing his teeth quicker, his mood lifted slightly.

In an attempt to leave the apartment in record time, he tripped over his own shoes and landed heavily on the floor. “What the heck, body, you’re supposed to be tired. It’s a Monday morning.” ~~His body is way too energetic for his brain to handle.~~ He picked himself up and made his way to The Spot. Sawamura is already there, leaning against a tree. “Morning.” “Ready to go?” He nodded, and started his routine.

//

Kuroo doesn’t know if it’s a coincidence or if the gods above were messing with him.

Since the incident in the grocery store, he has been bumping into Sawamura in the weirdest places, and sometimes, they would catch each other’s gazes and talk, sometimes, they literally walked into each other. Laughing and brushing it off, they would catch up on the day’s events, and if it’s late, they would go for dinner (it’s usually ramen), and talk some more. At the end of the night, he would sit in the relatively empty train carriage with Sawamura in comfortable silence. On days Kuroo felt drained out from dealing with errant students, he wondered how it would feel to lean on Sawamura. How it would feel to just doze off on his shoulder, his warmth seeping through the sleeve of his shirt. Maybe it was the loneliness screwing with his brain.

Kuroo remembered how surprised he felt when he found out that Sawamura lived on the floor above him.

It was the second time he had bumped into Sawamura outside of their morning runs. He never seen Sawamura in the lift, much less heard about a new neighbour. But the surprise quickly faded to excitement, as he realised that he has someone to hang out with him aside from Bokuto. And that he has someone to annoy, and make fun of. He looked at Sawamura’s face. That was when Sawamura looked up. Their eyes met and Sawamura’s eyes crinkled, revealing faint smile lines. “I’m so relieved that I finally have a neighbour that I can actually talk to. The neighbours on my floor are high school kids and a sad overworked middle aged man, so you know, no common topic.”

“Wait, so you didn’t talk to anyone at all? For like the past 2 months? You’re so shy.”

Sawamura’s smile dropped. “To think I was slightly relieved you’re my neighbour, I take back my words. And I did…I just don’t have good connections with them because we are all awkward. So it’s not just me okay.”

“Don’t worry man, I’ll talk to you, I mean that’s if we bump into each other in the lift. Oh how about we just exchange numbers, so you don’t feel so sad and lonely in your apartment?” Kuroo handed Sawamura his phone. Sawamura gave him a weary look, before entering his number into the phone. “I’ll text you later, okay? Good night, Sawamura.” He unlocked the door of his apartment, turning back to check whether Sawamura has left. Sawamura was still there, watching him. “I’m just ensuring that you’ve reached home safely, I’m not stalking you or anything.” He blurted, while rubbing his eyes.

“What a gentleman. Dude, it’s safe, go home, take a shower and sleep. You look really tired.”

“Okay, good night too.”

The following encounters were nothing out of the ordinary, like how morning runs were how it usually was, with the exception of either he or Sawamura knocking on each other’s door. Sometimes, it is quiet and peaceful; at times, comfortable and boisterous; nothing was out of his routine.

//

It was another one of those typical Tuesday afternoons where you fight the urge to fall asleep on your desk, because you have got absolutely nothing to do. So Kuroo did the logical thing – to go home.

The fiery afternoon sun was high in the cloudless cornflower blue sky. Battling in the heat, he swung his duffel bag listlessly, as he traipsed down the streets. The streets were empty; everyone was indoors, seeking shelter from the blistering heat. A stray leaf dropped to the pavement in front of him, dried and brown. Summer was already here, blasting the streets with her ever-lasting sunshine. Somehow, Kuroo didn’t feel any brighter or happier. In fact, he realised that he didn’t want to go home; no one’s home. Instead, he chose to wander around the neighbourhood.

Canopies of trees shielded him from the sun, as he strolled along a row of shops, window shopping. As if having a brain of its own, his feet guided him to a relatively unfamiliar pathway; high-ended brands surrounded him, shiny cars drove past him. Where was he? Bloody hell, how did he even zone out so much that he lost his way? Kuroo looked for any signs that told him where he was, but this place was devoid of any signboard whatsoever. Brushing his hair back, he rolled up the sleeves of his white button down, and decided to continue to walking, because what are the odds you could find your way home, right? You’ll never know if you don’t try, a voice echoed in his head. Mustering all of his determination, he swung his duffel bag over his shoulder and moved forward.

He passed by joggers (who even jogs at 3 in the afternoon?) and people walking their little pups. He passed by irritated toddlers screaming in their prams. He passed by rows and rows of glittering windows of high-end boutiques. He passed by a fancy gym. Wait. He did a double take. The tinted glass allowed him to only see the faint outline of something Sawamura-like. He took a step closer. Squinted his eyes a little. The Sawamura-like outline began to grow some features and the signature crease between the man’s eyebrows gave away the man’s identity as Sawamura. But what business does he have in a gym? Is he secretly a rich brat who wants to save money by living in the apartment complex Kuroo is living in now? All of his assumptions were proven wrong when he witnessed an elderly man approach Sawamura with a sheet of paper alongside a credit card. Sawamura then turned slightly, his back now facing Kuroo. He appeared to be guiding the man to a payment counter to pay for something… Oh right! Gym membership. So if that old man is applying for a gym membership, this means Sawamura is the manager of this high class gym? Kuroo’s eyes widened. Wait, he could just be a staff helping out…

Kuroo continued observing Sawamura’s movement through the glass. Sawamura was heading towards the entrance of the gym… Kuroo inhaled sharply and ducked behind the closest object… which turned out to be a potted pomegranate plant. His eyes were fixated on the door. Is Sawamura coming out or nah? He re-emerged from behind the plant after a minute of squatting, and scanned the gym for Sawamura. The gym was devoid of Sawamura’s outline. Where did he go now? Kuroo pinched his eyes shut, sighing loudly. He turned his head to the left and—

“HO BOY!”

His butt landed unceremoniously on the rough pavement. How did he get there? Wasn't he squatting just seconds ago? What the fuck? Who shouted in his face? What—?

“I finally got back at you! How would I know that you’d go snooping around my workplace, hmm?” The fucker dared to mock at him? He looked up.

Sawamura’s face hovered close to his, playful grin adorned.

“Aish it’s you, I thought which asshole dared to knock down the mighty Kuroo Tetsurou. Unless they are looking for death, you do not simply knock me down,” He got up, and jabbed a finger in Sawamura’s chest, “and get away without consequences. And, I am not snooping.” A smirk pulled at his lips for added effect of his threat.

“Do I look scared to you?” Sawamura deadpanned, expression disinterested.

“Oho, wait for it. I mean what I say, boy. Anyways, what kind of shady business do you have in this high-end gym, which both of us know we can never afford?”

Sawamura merely stared at him and finally said, “Are you stupid or blind? I’m literally in my work clothes here and you’re asking me why am I here. Shouldn’t you be at work still? Why are you here huh?”

Kuroo looked down at Sawamura’s attire, and mentally slapped himself for being so unobservant and asking dumb unnecessary questions. Whatever, he has already embarrassed himself enough in front of this man; this doesn't make much of a difference. “You never mentioned about working in a gym… Dude, your job is cool. At least it is way more fun than dealing with annoying brats.”

Sawamura chuckled, and replied, “You learn a new thing every day, Mr Professor. Anyways, are you free to grab dinner together?”

“Where? I’m too lazy to dress my ass up to go eat. Can we just order takeout or something?”

He hummed and nodded his head. “I’ll go over to your place?”

“Alright. See you at 7, Sawamura.”

//

The TV murmured softly in the background as the two men dove into their pizzas. The hot melted cheese of the pizza dribbled down the sides, sticking onto Kuroo’s fingers, and he stifled a moan while licking the cheese of his fingers. Don't get him wrong; he just loves (read: can’t survive without) cheese. It has been a while since he has eaten pizza, so it was a delight to finally sink his teeth into tomato and cheese covered dough. The tangy tomato sauce danced on his tongue, tangoing with the salty pepperoni slices. Beside him, Sawamura was crunching on the crust of his third pizza, crumbs dropping into the pizza box. The crunching and sighing continued until Kuroo decided to burp loudly into the relatively quiet living room.

“Kuroo, please get educated on table manners.”

“We are not at a table are we? Don't be so uptight. You can burp too if you want,” Kuroo teased, craning his head over to look at Sawamura.

“I’m too tired to argue with you. Are we watching a movie?”

“Do you want to?”

Sawamura trained his eyes at Kuroo. Kuroo locked his gaze and stared at him. Upon realising that Kuroo had not-so-subtly challenged him to a staring competition, Sawamura faced his body towards Kuroo, and leaned forward. If he was shocked by Sawamura’s movement, Kuroo did not show any signs of it on his face. Instead his smirk grew larger, and he mimicked Sawamura’s actions.

He could see himself reflected in Sawamura’s eyes. His reflection raised an eyebrow, and Kuroo leaned forward, forehead colliding with Sawamura’s. He continued to widen his eyes at Sawamura, taunting him to blink away tears that were threatening to drop. He can see it; Sawamura’s eyelids twitching with effort to prevent tears from falling. He is going to win this, he can see it; he is going to win in… 5, 4, 3, 2 -- 

“Argh! Damn, these dry eyes!” Sawamura leaned back, blinking rapidly. The warmth felt at his forehead disappeared, and Kuroo’s heart twanged disappointedly.

“Didn't I tell you I win all eye staring contests? Both official ones and impromptu ones.”

His words were greeted with an unimpressed expression. “And I bet that’s the only thing you can do well in.”

“You’re not wrong, but I am more talented than you think, Sawamura.”

A sigh was heard before Sawamura looked him in the eyes and muttered, “Just call me Daichi.”

“Say that louder? I didn't quite catch it.”

“I said,” he stifled an eyeroll, “call me Daichi. It is so weird that you still call me Sawamura after like 3 months of knowing each other. And I feel like you’re calling my dad when you call me that.”

“Okay, Sawamura. You can call me whatever you want; sexy sounds great.”

Sawamura shook his head at Kuroo and picked up his abandoned laptop on the floor. “Ugh, just choose a movie, I have reached my daily quota of ‘fucks to give to Kuroo and his shit’.”

“If you wanted me so badly, you just gotta ask! I don't mind helping a bro out…”

Sawamura rubbed his eyes.

It is going to be a long night today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry my dudes i have been so busy with work and sch and all that crap and didnt manage to write at all last month :( i hope this longer chapter can make up for it!!


	4. you're a fucking loser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> brief warnings on homophobia ahead! if you're not comfortable, you can skip from "Kuroo, what the fuck..." to "The metal can Daichi threw...". 
> 
> title from the song "loser" by falling in reverse! 
> 
> i took forever to write this b/c i can't find any motivation to write and real life is tough.... i think y'all have seen this excuse way to many times but ugh i'm really tired ●︿● hope y'all will like this !

“Good job Daichi. You've worked so hard on publicising our gym and you deserve a break. Go, I’ll give you a 2-day leave.”

 

Daichi’s boss clapped his shoulder lightly and handed him an envelope. He opened it and proceeded to gaze wide-eyed at his boss. “Go use it. Bonus for you, since the number of people registering for membership increased since you started publicising.”

 

“Boss… Wow, thank you! Then, I would take my leave now?”

 

His boss nodded and waved goodbye to him.

 

Clutching the envelope in his hands, Daichi stepped out into the warm summer night. A light balmy breeze blew through the trees, fragile leaves scattering onto the pavement. He closed his eyes and relished in the comfort of the wind.

 

He didn't expect his boss to give him any sort of bonus whatsoever. All he did was to brainstorm for ideas, stick on some posters and some online advertising. And he receives an extra of $800 and a 2-day leave. He was still reeling from the surprise and excitement; his boss is too generous.

 

He smiled and opened his eyes. Now, what should he do in the 2-day break? Sleep until noon? Go to the museum? Go on a movie marathon? His messenger bag swung cheerily as he headed to the station.

 

The station was relatively empty, considering that it was almost 11 at night. Drunk office workers sat on the benches, muttering about their sad lives; the occasional high schooler studying at the 24-hour coffee kiosk, sipping mouthfuls of chilled coffee. The faint smell of steamed chicken pau wafted to his nose, and his feet guided him to the pau shop located behind the station.

 

He inhaled deeply. Ah, as usual, pau never disappoints. At his sharp intake of breath, the shop owner turned to look at him, and a familiar grin broke across his face. “Ah Dai-san, you’re here! What is it today? You’re glowing.”

 

“Tanaka! Boss gave me extra vacation days and bonus… Pretty nice of him, right? How many paus have you sold today?”

 

“Wow, that’s cool! Mmmm, today’s sales weren’t that great, not really a pau day for most people I guess…” Tanaka’s grin dimmed.

 

Daichi’s heart twinged at the sight of his former teammate and crazy friend. Without a beat of hesitation, or even thinking through the idea, he suggested, “How about we all meet up on Saturday to catch up? Drinks on me.”

 

Tanaka’s face lit up faster than the speed of light and he turned his manic gaze onto Daichi. “Are you for real? I need to note down this moment. Since when have you been so concern over our well-beings? _Captain_ , you touch my heart.” He then made kissy faces at Daichi, narrowly avoiding Daichi’s forehead flick.

 

Tanaka laughed raucously and grabbed a pair of tongs. He lifted the lid of the bamboo steamer and made a show of choosing the “greatest pau known to human kind” (in Tanaka’s own words). He then leaned forward and whispered, “For your rare show of affection, I have decided to gift you with 2 extra paus, so here are your paus, kind sir. All 3 were filled to the brim with chicken and pork, because you know how my feelings are – “

 

Daichi merely rolled his eyes and pushed Tanaka’s head away good-naturedly. He reached for his wallet to pay Tanaka, but a resounding crash stopped him.

 

Tanaka also froze. He mouthed, “What was that?”

 

Daichi could only shrug and wait.

 

A yell followed after the crash shortly. He motioned for Tanaka to stay put, and handed his bag over to him. Wait here, he told Tanaka, as he made his way to the source of the sound.

 

All happy thoughts were flung out of the window when a body crashed to the ground next to him.

 

“Kuroo? What the fuck? Dude, are you–”

 

“Oh, so is this your new boy toy?” A nasal voice rang out from further down the dark alleyway. Daichi watched the lanky figure make its way towards where Kuroo is at, and he hunched protectively over the injured Kuroo.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Who am I?” The yellow glow of the streetlamps lit up the walking figure. A face, screwed into a scowl, with thin raised brows, greeted him. The red head stranger bent slightly to look Daichi in the eye, before shoving him away. “Run along. You don't want to be involved in this, _little boy._ ”

 

Oh, so this stranger wants to get physical. Working at a gym gave Daichi the opportunity to train himself, to ensure that he is physically fit to defend himself if the need arises. “What business do you have with Kuroo?”

 

Redhead ignored him, and bent down to tip Kuroo’s head to face him. “Kuroo, so is he your new boy toy? You’re that desperate, huh?”

 

A whimper escaped Kuroo’s mouth. That damn redhead was intentionally putting pressure on Kuroo’s elbow (which looked bent out of place). Daichi doesn't know what’s the deal with Redhead and Kuroo, but seeing one of his closest friend in pain spurred him into action.  

 

In a few strides, he knocked Redhead roughly onto the asphalt ground, pinning him down with his weight. “What do you want from Kuroo?”

 

Redhead only smirked, the glint of his teeth reflecting coldly in the night. Daichi added more pressure on the guy’s right wrist; Redhead cringed evidently, but refused to answer.

 

“You know, I can do this all night,” Daichi murmured darkly, “and maybe your wrist would be detached from your body at the end of the night, I don't know. What do you prefer? Broken wrist or ribs?”

 

“Why do you want to know so badly? You two have something going on, right? What a bunch of disgusting sluts.”

 

“Oh? And I assume you are the jealous ex who wants Kuroo back?”

 

“As if. I want nothing to do with that filthy homo,” Redhead gasped, “and by the looks of it, Kuroo never told you certain things yet. No wonder you’re so adamant – ah!”

 

“Just get to the point asshole. What do you want?” He could feel his blood beginning to boil, and as much as he is a peace-loving cow, he really wanted to snap the guy’s twig-like neck into two.

 

Redhead muttered something under his breath, and Daichi responded by increasing his force on the guy’s bony wrist.

 

“Argh! He’s a fucking slut that thirst after guys! Normal guys like us! And it’s so fucking gross, he does disgusting deeds to get where he is right now. Down to sucking the professor’s –”

 

Daichi’s fist connected with flesh. He got up quickly, landing a kick on Redhead’s stomach. Stepping on the guy’s right wrist harshly, he watched the redhead squirm. “Just answer me. Are you still going to bother Kuroo from now on? If not, say goodbye –”

 

“I won't! Let me go now!”

 

He twisted his feet forcefully and heard a crack from below him. Leaving Redhead thrashing in pain, he approached Kuroo, who is curled up in a foetal position. “Do you believe whatever he just said?” A small voice came from the shaking body.

 

Daichi crouched lower to lay a gentle hand on Kuroo’s trembling shoulder. His other hand found Kuroo’s hand, and he grasped it firmly. “Let’s get you cleaned up, okay? Can you walk?”

 

Kuroo responded by wounding himself tighter against himself, slipping his hand out of Daichi’s. Daichi sighed, preparing to hoist Kuroo up when he heard footsteps coming towards them. “I knew it. Faggots.”

 

“You should learn when to keep your mouth shut,” He was standing up now, back tensed up. “Was the broken wrist not enough?”

 

Redhead visibly backed away, hurriedly. “J-j-just don't harass people like us okay! You are all not even worth the title of humans – AH!”

 

The metal can Daichi threw hit the forehead of Redhead, and the coward bolted, leaving just the two of them in the alleyway. “What a fucker,” he said under his breath.

 

“Did you just _curse_ , Sawamura?” The small voice asked amusedly, before erupting into a giggle.

 

He felt the corners of his mouth turn up slightly, and he turned back down, meeting Kuroo’s eyes head-on. The latter had abandoned his foetal curl, and was half-slouched against the brick wall. Kuroo’s eyes were crinkled slightly at the corners; he continued to maintain eye contact with the the taller, lips pulled into a tiny smile. His hand found Kuroo’s in the dark, and he gripped it tightly. Hesitance clouded Kuroo’s eyes, so he squeezed his hand lightly in reassurance.

 

The man in front of him just stared more intensely at him. Is there something on his face? Daichi shifted uncomfortably.

 

“You haven’t answer my question, Sawamura,” Kuroo broke the eye-contact and looked down at their linked hands. “Do you believe whatever he just said?”

 

“What do you think, Kuroo?”

 

Daichi felt Kuroo trying to pull his hand away from his; did he say the wrong thing? He loosened his grip, allowing Kuroo’s warmth to leave his palm. There was a pregnant pause, before the slumped figure spoke up again.

 

“Sawamura, are we even friends?” His voice wobbled, “Why did you even bother stepping in? Why didn’t you just obediently go home and pretend you never hear someone shouting?” He sniffed, voice tapering off, and he once again began to curl in onto himself. His shoulders were again starting their shaking fest, so Daichi shifted to sit on the right of Kuroo, curling his arm around Kuroo. His other hand brushed Kuroo’s hair away from his face and lifted Kuroo’s face up; his face was wet. His eyes were downcast, tears flowing out silently, sniffles almost a whisper.

 

Daichi thumbed away Kuroo’s tears, his other arm leaving Kuroo’s shoulders to manoeuvre himself to sit in between Kuroo’s legs. “Why would I be here if we weren’t friends, hmm? Look at me,” he leaned forward, tilting Kuroo’s face up, such that they could see eye-to-eye. “Even if whatever the guy said was true, I would never hate you. I mean fuck him, I think you can like whoever you want. There is no such thing as liking the wrong –”

 

Kuroo only cried harder at that, big fat tears rolling out of his eyes, dribbling onto Daichi’s hand. “Why – why are you so nice to me? Nobody stayed, once they found out who I am,” Kuroo hiccupped, “They just - just left me.”

 

“Then it’s their loss. At least you know now that there is always someone who would support and care for you, no matter who you are.”

 

Kuroo smiled tearily, and Daichi took it as a permission to envelope the former in an embrace. It was like hugging a wet cat, with Kuroo burrowing his nose into the juncture between Daichi’s neck and shoulder and pulling him closer with his good arm. He’s almost sitting on Kuroo’s lap, and thank god no one can see the furious blush on his cheeks; they are so close, Daichi was starting to feel a little heady… If he’d turn his head slightly to the left, his lips would meet Kuroo’s cheek. His cheeks grew hotter at that thought, and he ducked his head into Kuroo’s shoulder quickly, breathing in his musk. The arms around him tightened, and warm tears continued to soak his flimsy white cotton tee. He lets him hold him for a while longer before pulling back to peer at Kuroo’s face. “You better now?”

 

He nodded, tear-streaked cheeks glinting under the street lights.

 

“Shall we go now? Do you need me to carry you?”

 

Kuroo shook his head. He stumbled to his feet before crumbling pathetically to the ground again. “Ah I think he fucked my ankle up,” he paused, “oh and my elbow too.”

 

Daichi sighed. “Hop on.”

 

“Huh? I’m really heavy though.”

 

“… Just hop on. I really wanna crash.”

 

“If you insist… then I shall!”

 

An unfamiliar weight landed on his back, and he grabbed onto Kuroo’s knees tightly, afraid that he might drop the latter. The latter just hummed happily and tightened his legs around Daichi’s torso. “You ok there? I’m not too heavy right? I can just get off if –”

 

“M’fine! Just hold on okay? We’ll be home really soon. How’s your elbow holding up?”

 

He heard a groan from behind, and his mouth pulled into a small smile. His eyes hurt as they adjusted to the brightness of the station, and they caught sight of a shocked Tanaka, standing very still outside his shop. “Oh my god! Is everything okay? Dai-san, I heard so much yelling, I didn't know whether to help you or call the police or – ”

 

Tanaka’s rambling halted as his eyes passed over the figure slumped on Daichi’s back. “Do you need help getting back? Who is the guy on your back? Is he alright?”

 

The figure raised his head and said, “I’m Kuroo, Daichi’s new and hot neighbour. I’m a little hurt but I’m fine. Thank you for being so concerned, Daichi’s friend.”

 

“Oh? Daichi never mentioned living next to a model,” Tanaka looked pointedly at Daichi, before asking again, if they needed help getting back.

 

Shaking his head, Daichi wished Tanaka a safe trip home and left the brightly lit station.

 

//

 

“Are you okay? I could hear you panting from up here.”

 

“Yeah, I’m,” Daichi breathed, “m’fine.”

 

They were almost reaching their apartment complex; just a few more metres, Daichi thought, as he lumbered his way towards the glass doors. Kuroo wasn’t lying when he said he was heavy; Daichi had thought he was rather light for the first five minutes of the journey, then his muscles started protesting when he had to climb up a flight of steps. That was when he felt the full weight of Kuroo piled on his back, and he swore, he almost dropped the latter when he climbed the seventh step. Kuroo was deadweight on his back, and the injured could only mutter encouragements as Daichi carried him.

 

When he finally reached his apartment door, heaving loudly, relief settled in his bones and he let Kuroo down carefully to unlock his apartment.

 

The door opened with a slight creak.

 

Daichi turned to Kuroo, who looked at him, confused.

 

“Come on in. We have to fix your arm and give your ankle a splint.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all can always hmu on [tumblr](https://aghkaaashi.tumblr.com/)! its kind of undecorated at the moment but gimme a whie oki i'll deco it by the end of this year :-D


End file.
